Here are some of the grade 11-12 visual journal entries from last month. The criteria? They are asked to work for one hour a week developing a piece in a medium that they don't normally work with. What I love about these is that I never know what I'm going to get next!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Last month I was incredibly blessed to be a school leader on our school's mission trip to an orphanage in Nicaragua. It was my third trip of this sort, but my first to "the land of lakes and volcanos". We had a really successful trip- we helped build sidewalks and stairs to help with the rainy season, sorted and donated 3000 POUNDS of clothes and toiletries, organized activities, and built great connections with the students at the orphanage. Our days off were pretty special too- zip lining in the rain forest, visits to historical cities, and a boat ride on lake Nicaragua. I will post some of my favourite pictures here.
I would like to make special note of the pictures of art students- at the local school, they had no art teacher, so I was lucky to work with some of the students who had not taken lessons, but were really interested in art. I taught conte, as that is what I had packed for my own supplies. If you look at the pictures, you'll probably have a hard time believing that these students learned how to use conte incredibly well in just TWO HOURS! Over the two days, we learned how to work with the material both free hand and with the aid of a grid. I was so proud of them, and it felt really good to teach a group that was so appreciative of having a teacher with a background in the arts.
Now that I'm back and have caught up on my report cards, you can probably expect some more regular posting here. Thanks for all of your love and support!
Ms. G-E.

A view of our guest house at the orphanage

Visiting an active volcano!

The donation of dresses from Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Woodstock Ontario

About Me

Wrote when she was in grade two that she wanted to be "an art teacher". After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Toronto and Sheridan College for a degree and diploma in Fine Art and Art History. This was followed by acceptance into the specialized Artist in Community Bachelor of Education program at Queens University, for a select number of artists, musicians, and actors. Deciding to branch off into another area, she continued on to the Critical Disabilities graduate program at York University. She has worked on projects with the Dolores Olmedo Museum, and the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City. This was followed by teaching history for two years at a preparatory high school in Mexico. For the past seven years, she has taught at Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton, Ontario. She has also participated in many fine art exhibitions throughout Ontario. She lives with her husband, adorable chocolate labrador and wonderful baby boy. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, learning new languages, taking photos, and swimming.